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Cailean MacUlarig

Do Ghuth ann an Croiteireachd

Colin Kennedy

Your voice in crofting

Five years ago a monumental moment in crofting happened…six crofters were elected to the Crofting Commission to see the internal workings of an organisation that had previously been led by government appointment. The change was dramatic. For the first time people who worked the land were on the committee of peers. Who better to know how crofting should work than the crofters themselves? However, the way crofting worked for government was not the way it should work for us – fair and equitably across the country. It seems to me that those of us elected to serve were to be silent upon the commission – and not speak out about the things that we saw inside that organisation that were simply unfair. We had six crofters who knew what had to be delivered to make the system work best. Of course we saw issues such as one area being allowed to do one thing, while other areas were not allowed to do the very same thing. A set of laws that were simply not adhered to universally across the country. A set of laws that needed to be vigorously tested. While we all ade some progress in the commission, I realised that we needed a governance review of the whole organisation. I had identified a list of all the wrong doing and took it to the government saying that we had to have a external review in August 2016. In response to my request a maelstrom blew up and what I got for it was attacks in the media, and abuse. However those who set out against me – calling for my resignation – did not have the rhino hide I seem to have. They couldn’t get rid of Colin Kennedy and here I am standing again.